Hank
1:01:05 PM Canto: November 17th, 1936. It's around eight in the evening. You're the only one there, and the radio is playing some of that blandly pleasant big band music. 1:04:04 PM Hank: Hank wipes his hands on a rag, hops up on a workbench and lights a cigarette. 1:04:24 PM Canto: Your leg itches like crazy. 1:05:20 PM Hank: Hank swears and rolls up his pant leg, loosens the straps just enough, and sticks a screwdriver in there to scratch it! 1:06:53 PM Canto: It's 8:04 when the music on the radio dissolves into static. 1:07:09 PM Canto: The lights in the shop dim, and then go out. 1:07:39 PM Canto: But the radio still works, and is still all staticky. 1:08:40 PM Hank: Hank tightens the straps, pulls his pants leg back down and slides down to the floor. 1:09:04 PM Hank: Hank hobbles over to the radio and smacks it. 1:09:57 PM Canto: That has no effect. Well, it kind of does -- the static seems to give way to a rhythmic clicking noise coming in over the signal. 1:10:24 PM Hank: Hmph. 1:10:45 PM Hank: Hank hobbles toward the front of the building to look out the windows and see if the lights are out everywhere. 1:13:21 PM Canto: You look out the window! As you approach, the night sky gets *super* bright and suddenly, you see something hanging in the clear night sky. This is signifigant, as earlier this evening it was overcast and you couldn't even see the moon. Most alarming is the planet that hangs in the night sky, a grey-green rock that seems to be cracking from within. 1:13:32 PM Canto: http://www.wallpaperup.com/248027/Planet_Cracked_Starlight_Stars.html 1:13:35 PM Canto: Looks like that. 1:14:26 PM Hank: ....what the-- 1:14:54 PM Hank: Hank looks outside again to see if anyone else is around, constantly glancing back up. 1:15:43 PM Canto: After a few moments, the sky flashes bright again, and it's all back to normal. Overcast and all. The lights come back on. 1:16:18 PM Canto: The shop you work at is on the docks -- you don't see anyone around. 1:16:25 PM Hank: Hank squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. "Gotta lay off that hooch, man." 1:17:24 PM Hank: ((also lol- really should have gone for shipyard work instead of auto mechanic)) 1:17:33 PM Canto: The radio comes back, too. There's a panicky sounding voice. "Hello? Are we back? Ladies and gentlemen, I... I apologize for the interruption to our normal programming, but we lost our signal. 1:18:54 PM Canto: "And some in the studio are saying that they saw *something* in the night sky. We'll do what we can to find out what caused this strange phenomenon, and keep you updated. Until then, back to the music..." 1:19:02 PM Canto: And the big band music starts playing again. 1:19:55 PM Hank: Hank puts out his cigarette and starts cleaning up the shop. 1:30:36 PM Canto: You hear a high-pitched whining noise. 1:30:47 PM Canto: ((Sorry, had a cat related situation.)) 1:31:05 PM Hank: ((lol s'ok I had a Bella related situation at the same time!)) 1:31:24 PM Hank: Hank tries to figure out where it's coming from. 1:31:58 PM Canto: Seems to come from everywhere at once. And it's getting louder. Starting to drown out the music. 1:32:24 PM Hank: Hank hobbles back to the window. 1:32:58 PM Canto: It all looks normal. The whining gets louder and louder, and more high-pitched. Starting to hurt your ears now. 1:33:22 PM Hank: Hank covers his ears with his hands. 1:35:54 PM Canto: Doesn't help! It gets louder and louder --then you black out. When you come to, you're on the floor of the shop. And every bit of metal in the place is twisted and bent, as if it came unravelled and froze half-way through the process. Everything. Every tool, every scrap, even the metal in the radio is jutting out of the bakelite casing like it was impaled. 1:36:59 PM Hank: Hank slowly gets to his feet and looks around. 1:38:18 PM Canto: The shop is obviously a mess. The lights are out. The only light inside comes windows funneling the light from the lamps outside. 1:39:52 PM Hank: Hank touches a piece of the metal to check the temperature. 1:40:00 PM Canto: Cool to the touch! 1:41:11 PM Hank: Hank takes his cane and starts heading for the door. 1:42:00 PM Canto: You spot someone at the end of the dock, wearing a long coat and a broad-brimmed hat, facing the ocean, away from you. 1:42:41 PM Hank: ((How far away?)) 1:42:54 PM Canto: Probably about 30 feet from you or so. 1:43:42 PM Canto: He doesn't turn to you, but he speaks out loud, in a quiet voice that carries quite well. "Quite a mess in there." 1:44:15 PM Hank: Hank glances around a bit, looking for other people. "You know what happened?" 1:45:41 PM Canto: "Sure. You saw an impossible thing in the sky. Then something inside you responded in a big way. Don't worry about the shop. It'll be taken care of." 1:46:23 PM Hank: Something in me? What the hell are you talking about? 1:49:39 PM Canto: "You know what I'm talking about, Mr. Stevenson. It's been happening ever since you left the service. It's just not happened so.... spectacularly before." 1:51:00 PM Hank: Hank starts walking towards him. "Now wait just a minute. How do you know my name? Who are you?" 1:52:48 PM Canto: "I represent certain interests who have your best interests at heart. We believe you have great potential, and would hate you to lose your job over this unfortunate... manifestation." 1:54:08 PM Hank: Hey *I* didn't do that. 1:55:12 PM Canto: "You didn't bend every piece of metal in your shop? You needn't lie to me, Mr. Stevenson." 1:57:21 PM Hank: 'course I didn't. I was too busy trying not to go deaf. 1:59:32 PM Canto: "Indeed. Denial or obfuscation? If it's the latter, you needn't bother with me. You will not be blamed. The situation will be dealt with." 2:04:16 PM Hank: You gonna actually say something that makes sense at some point? 2:06:20 PM Canto: His back is still to you. He reaches into his coat and pulls out a card, holding it up with two fingers. He has some kind of accent you can't place, and a slight lisp in his speech. "Call us when you're ready, Mr. Stevenson, and we'll explain everything to you. Until then, I've been authorized to give you a gift." 2:07:33 PM Hank: Hank slowly walks forward, by this point leaning on his cane. "Ready for what?" 2:11:54 PM Canto: "To accept what's happening to you." He turns toward you, the shadows cast by his broad-brimmed hat obscuring his face. You can just make out slightly abnormally large eyes. He holds the card out. 2:13:04 PM Hank: Hank takes it. "Who do you work for?" 2:17:20 PM Canto: "''When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.' That's Job 41:25-26. Look it up. We're powerful. And we've been around for awhile. Take our gifts -- free and without obligation." 2:17:37 PM Canto: Then, as if the encounter was not irritatingly weird enough -- he disappears. 2:17:59 PM Canto: Like, seriously. He's there, and you blink, and then he's gone, leaving you holding the card he handed you. 2:18:39 PM Hank: Hank looks around then at the card. 2:18:53 PM Canto: It's just a phone number. Local. 2:19:39 PM Hank: Hank pockets it and slowly starts walking back to the shop, shaking his head. 2:19:55 PM Canto: The shop is still a mess! 2:20:57 PM Hank: Hank sits heavily in a chair and picks up the closest piece of metal to look at it. 2:21:16 PM Canto: It's all twisted and bent. 2:21:30 PM Hank: Hank tries to bend it back in shape. 2:21:59 PM Canto: Like, physically? 2:22:04 PM Hank: Yeah 2:24:37 PM Canto: He can kinda bend it back, somewhat. Whatever happened to the metal didn't make it any more or less rigid. 2:27:48 PM Hank: Hank takes the card out and stares at it for a minute. 2:28:08 PM Hank: ((Guessing a shop would have a phone?)) 2:28:47 PM | Edited 2:29:11 PM Canto: Yeah, but it doesn't work right now. Because of the metal parts being all warped and twisted now. 2:28:58 PM Hank: ((lol oh yeah) 2:31:47 PM Hank: Hank pockets the card, puts his jacket on, and heads out the door with his cane. Headed to the bar, most likely. 2:33:57 PM Canto: Your stump is super itchy. But you head to the bar! Most of the conversation in there seems to revolve around people talking the sighting of that planet hanging in the sky. Those that saw it, anyway, trying to explain what they saw to those who didn't see it. 2:35:26 PM Hank: Hank heads to the bartender. "You got a phone I can use?" 2:35:58 PM Canto: He nods at a payphone in the corner. 2:36:19 PM Hank: Thanks. 2:37:02 PM Hank: Hank pulls some change out and makes the call. 2:37:12 PM Canto: Your change is all bent and twisted. 2:37:20 PM Hank: ((sonnuva!)) 2:37:40 PM Hank: Hank checks the return slot. 2:37:47 PM Canto: Nothin! 2:39:00 PM Hank: ((Think I have any paper money? As a laborer these days? lol)) 2:39:35 PM Canto: ((Oh, probably. A couple of bucks.)) 2:41:11 PM Hank: Hank sighs and pulls a dollar from his pocket. "Gimme a shot of your cheapest whiskey." 2:41:22 PM Canto: He pours you some. 2:42:45 PM Canto: A violent argument is starting not far away from you as a guy who swears he saw hell hanging in the night sky is being called a delusional drunk by his friends. 2:43:05 PM Hank: Hank pays for it, drinks it, and takes the change back to the phone. 2:44:39 PM Hank: Hank makes the call. 2:50:32 PM | Edited 2:51:36 PM Canto: The phone number on the card has an odd number of digits. Might be a foreign number? But the line is ringing. 2:51:09 PM Hank: ((before putting in the numbers, or the call didn't go through?)) 2:51:25 PM Canto: ((Oh, whoops.)) 2:52:18 PM Canto: A pleasant female voice answers. "Who are we?" 2:53:18 PM Hank: .... Well, ma'am, that's what I'd like to know. This is Hank Stevenson. Just got your card from a man down here. 2:53:55 PM Canto: "...who are we, Mr. Stevenson?" 2:57:21 PM Hank: You folks never do nothin' easy, do you? 2:57:56 PM Hank: Hank thinks back to all those Sunday services. "What was it... Leviathan?" 2:59:31 PM Canto: "Of course, Mr. Stevenson. We must keep the barbarians from passing through the gates somehow. I have a message for you. 'Sunday, 576 East Avenue. 3:00 pm.'" 3:01:44 PM Hank: Will there be answers there at least? 3:02:35 PM Canto: "That is the most valuable currency we have to offer." 3:03:21 PM Hank: Who *are* you? 3:03:46 PM Canto: "You said it yourself. We are Leviathan." 3:03:49 PM Canto: She hangs up. 3:04:24 PM Hank: Hank hangs up and probably heads for home. 3:04:49 PM Canto: Okay! Anything else he does before heading to bed? 3:04:57 PM Hank: Nah. 3:05:22 PM Canto: You're awakened by a phone call the next morning. 3:05:56 PM Hank: ((I have a phone!? hehe)) 3:06:19 PM Hank: Hank groggily answers it. "Stevenson." 3:07:30 PM Canto: ((Or your landlady is knocking on the door telling you you have a phone call. Either way. 3:07:53 PM Canto: "Stevenson, this is Harold down at the shop. I'm guessin' you haven't heard yet?" 3:08:26 PM Hank: Heard what? 3:10:23 PM Canto: "Shop got bought out. Happened early this morning. Pops is now offically retired. New owner wants us all down there by ten." 3:11:14 PM Hank: All right. 3:13:07 PM Hank: Hank hangs up, cleans up, gets dressed, and heads down there (whatever time it is) to look around. 3:13:36 PM Canto: You were woken up at around 8. 3:14:12 PM Canto: The shop is completely cleaned up. There is no sign that you warped the heck out of all the metal in here last night. 3:16:29 PM Hank: Hank looks very confused. 3:18:14 PM Canto: He's even more confused, probably, when he's informed that he's been promoted. 3:19:11 PM Hank: ...Promoted? 3:19:35 PM Canto: Yep. He's been jumped up to whatever shop rank seems appropriate. 3:21:17 PM Hank: Hank probably waits until ten to see what's going on! 3:22:29 PM Canto: Well, that is what's going on. New owners. They don't show up, but the foreman fills everyone in on things, and lets you know that you're now that the new assistant foreman or what have you. 3:22:57 PM Hank: Who's the new owners? 3:23:36 PM Canto: No one knows! 3:23:45 PM Canto: Just some company or another. 3:25:17 PM Hank: Hank will probably just... do his job then... until it's time to go to the meeting. 3:28:18 PM Canto: The next morning, things get even stranger. 3:28:58 PM Hank: ((what day is it?)) 3:29:25 PM Canto: ((Thursday.)) 3:31:08 PM Canto: Hank notices when he goes to pull on his fake leg and realizes he doens't need it. 3:31:39 PM Hank: ....doesn't need it? 3:31:48 PM Canto: Nope. 3:31:55 PM Canto: His leg is whole. 3:32:06 PM Canto: The skin is very pale. 3:32:33 PM Hank: ...All right, now I know I'm dreaming. 3:33:35 PM Hank: Hank tries to stand on it. 3:34:19 PM Canto: It's very wobbly. And something about it feels kinda wrong. 3:35:32 PM Hank: ((Physically or something else?)) 3:36:00 PM Canto: You're not sure. It could just be the strangeness of the whole experience. 3:37:14 PM Hank: ....I don't think this could get much weirder. 3:37:22 PM Canto: It *is* your leg, though. YOu can feel and everything. 3:37:33 PM Hank: Hank wiggles his toes. 3:37:42 PM Canto: Yep! 3:40:19 PM Hank: Hank tests it out- stand on one leg, a squat, a hop... 3:40:42 PM Canto: It's wobbly, since you've gotten used to not having a real leg there. 3:44:15 PM Hank: Hank dresses quickly and heads to work, cane in hand (mostly out of habit, but also for support). 3:46:02 PM Canto: Except for that, the day passes uneventfully! You eventually readjust to the new leg. 3:49:25 PM Canto: The next day, however, you get some mail. 3:49:41 PM Hank: Hank looks at it! 3:51:00 PM Canto: The stationary is interesting. "From the desk of Howard Hughes." 3:58:29 PM Canto: "Mr. Stevenson, It has come to my attention that you are a gentleman with an extraordinary power. Given the recent phenomenon, that power might have caught the attention of others, who promise you gifts and rewards. I warn you to be wary of those offering you extraordinary gifts -- such gifts always come at a high price. I do not know where your ability comes from. I cannot promise you answers, but I can promise you the ability to learn more about your power without it being exploited by forces who do not have humanity's best interests at heart. I would like to invite you to come and see me personally. Enclosed is an airline ticket that will bring you to my airfield in Los Angeles, where we can speak in person. Howard Hughes." 4:00:38 PM Hank: Hank looks at the ticket to see if there's a time or date involved. 4:01:13 PM Canto: It's for sunday, of course. Sunday morning. 4:01:56 PM Hank: ((was the address for the other meeting in LA also?)) 4:02:16 PM Canto: No, San Diego. 4:03:49 PM Canto: As a mechanically inclined person, of course you know who Howard Hughes is. 4:04:01 PM Hank: ....well how many opportunities am I going to have to ride in an airplane? 4:04:07 PM Hank: ((lol of course!)) 4:04:21 PM Canto: ((In the 30s, he's basically Tony Stark.)) 4:04:35 PM Hank: ((And a movie maker at that.)) 4:04:53 PM | Edited 4:04:59 PM Hank: ((and he probably killed that guy a couple months ago, but I won't mention it ;))) 4:07:11 PM Hank: Knew this leg was too good to be true. 4:08:38 PM Hank: Hank will continue about his schedule, but put his fake leg in his seabag (where he keeps pretty much all his stuff still) and plan on flying to LA on Sunday.